STUDENT-CENTERED SOLUTIONS FOR COLLEGE PLANNING

A lot of schools invite me to speak to their Juniors (and parents) at this time of year and a key agenda behind the invitations seems to be the desire to address the importance of course selections for the coming year. My message is simple:

• Step up to courses that present reasonable challenges to you academically,
• Do as well as you can in those courses and, then,
• Look for colleges that will value you for what you have achieved in the classroom and for the trajectory of your performance curve.

Quite often, the question of “which course to take” in the Senior year reflects either a student’s determination to get into a highly selective school or a desire to find reassurance that taking a less rigorous and, obviously, “more interesting” course will be okay. In each case, the answer rests in an understanding of your natural learning path. For years, you have been “tracked” academically—exposed to a sequence of courses that were intended to match your level of ability and preparation to find success in them.

As you reflect on your natural learning path, then, you will find guidance with regard to the next steps in course selections. What will your course selections reveal to admission officers with regard to your desire and ability to push yourself in the classroom? By taking rigorous courses, you demonstrate an ability to step up. Doing so will not guarantee admission but it will establish you on the competitive playing fields (for admission) at colleges where admission officers make fine, qualitative distinctions between excellent candidates.

A lot of times, students worry that, in taking the greater challenge they will hurt their ability to produce top grades. This is where you need to understand your capacity to handle a complex and heavy workload. Don’t over-schedule in order to impress admission officers. Do what makes sense for you and do it well.

One thing is certain, however. At highly selective colleges—places that are faced with large numbers of highly qualified candidates—admission officers want to see how you respond given the opportunity to choose your curriculum. And they want to see how you perform in that curriculum in the senior year. They want to see what you will do when you don’t think it matters any more!

That said, the matter of rigor poses a conundrum for many students who want to apply to state universities and other institutions that rely on a basic formula involving grade point average (or class rank) and the SAT/ACT results to determine who will be admitted. While logic suggests you keep challenging yourself academically, you might be leery of doing so at the expense of a lower GPA that may not make the cut in the admission process. (Unfortunately, not all state universities make qualitative distinctions in the rigor of academic programs.)

In deciding what to do, be true to yourself. You are a living, growing person. Just as you need sustenance (food, water, etc.) to survive physically, you also need to challenge and nourish the intellectual and spiritual parts of your being so they can develop, too. Hopefully, you can do that meaningfully while still meeting the seemingly arbitrary requirements of a formulated admission process.

Wherever you go to college, you are likely to find academic expectations that exceed any you encountered in high school. If you have continued to step up academically through each year of high school, the step into the college classroom will be one for which you are prepared. On the other hand, if the academic challenge you give yourself in your Senior Year of high school is not that different from the one you experienced as a Junior, then the step up to college will be awkward, if not painful.

The bottom line with regard to course selections—and your eventual college selections—is this: Do what makes sense for you. Take stock of where you are on your learning path, set your college sites reasonably and build a strong foundation through your coursework in high school that will propel you into a successful experience in college.

I will answer questions about course selections in my next posting. If you have a specific question you would like me to address, send it to my attention at Peter@TheAdmissionGame.com.

In my last posting, I introduced Jean and her growing concern about her competitiveness at the colleges to which she had applied. She had applied Early Action to one of them and a subsequent deferral letter had shaken her confidence. This led to an examination of the factors or potential landmines that may have influenced the admission decision and could, if not corrected, prove to be problematic with her other applications as well.

In Jean’s case, when the admission officers asked, “If we admit her, what do we get,” nothing jumped out at them. They saw a good student with solid involvement outside of the classroom who didn’t present a compelling reason to be admitted into the class. She had failed to project herself as a potential contributor to the athletic program or make a convincing statement about the relevance of her leadership.

What’s worse, because she had not visited the school’s campus, admission officers could find no evidence of her interest in their school when they asked, “What is the likelihood that she will come?” Uncertain of her level of interest and likely contributions, it is reasonable to assume that the next question of Jean—should she demonstrate need as a financial aid candidate—would be, “Is this someone in whom we are prepared to make a financial investment?”

By the way, I need to clarify a comment made in my last post. In assessing the manner in which Jean presented her application, I intimated that indicating an interest in financial aid on the application for admission could be prejudicial to the outcome of the application. Checking “Yes” to the question, “Do you intend to apply for financial aid?” should not hurt students in the admission process as that response alone is not an accurate indicator of the student’s financial need. If and when colleges discriminate on matters of family contribution and/or financial need, they do it at the back end of the process when they can compare the academic and financial credentials for all potentially admitted students.

It wasn’t long before Jean and her parents began to see the logic of the decision-making process at the selective schools to which she was applying. They could now rationalize the EA decision. More importantly, the despair that had hovered over the start of the conversation gave way to an excited sense of possibility as she began to develop a new “To Do” list. Even at this time of the year, Jean realized that it is not too late to get on the radar screens of the schools to which she had applied. Specifically, she saw the need to eliminate the perception that her interest in a given school is random while conveying a sense of the passion and talent within her that would set her apart from the rest of the competition.

Jean made immediate plans to visit the campuses of the “high priority” schools on her list and to attempt to introduce herself to the person(s) responsible for recruiting in her region. Moreover, she is making sure they have her most recent grades as well as documentation of a couple of honors that have come her way since she submitted her applications. She also took heart in the possibility that she could still contact the coaches at some of the smaller colleges on her list and make sure they got the DVDs of her athletic performance.

I admire Jean for her response to the situation. Rather than feeling that all is lost with regard to her college future, she is taking steps to affect the outcomes. Realizing that applying to college is a process and not an event, she is asserting herself. In doing so, she will eliminate the randomness that might otherwise be associated with her application.

Will this new-found self-advocacy assure Jean admission to her favorite schools? Not necessarily. It will, however, give her the chance to compete that she deserves. At the very least, the schools on her list now have reason to pause in considering her possible contributions to the communities they are building. Now, they will have a better idea of what they get should they admit Jean—and they’ll have more confidence that hers is a serious interest that could result in her enrollment if accepted. And, if they value her for what she has to offer, they will be more likely to invest in her with financial aid and/or scholarships.

Like Jean, you need to be honest with yourself about the nature of the competition as you apply for admission and take charge of the process. Don’t assume that because your credentials might match those on the academic profiles of the colleges to which you are applying that your admission is assured. Rather, reach out (appropriately) to decision-makers (admission officers) at the schools that are important to you and be sure to tell your story. Give the admission officers every reason to want to include you in the communities they are building as they admit their entering classes!

Two days ago I found myself talking with Jean and her parents about her college future. Jean had submitted six applications including one for Early Action consideration. Now, however, a deferral letter from the EA school had shaken her confidence. While she wasn’t hysterical, it was clear that Jean was questioning herself. Would she get in? Could she get in? And what about her chances of finding admission to the other, equally selective universities to which she had applied?

These were all good questions. While Jean possesses the academic credentials to be competitive for admission at any college or university in the country, the deferral letter had left her wondering what it would take to get in and had she done all she could do. I couldn’t find fault with the schools she had chosen nor the process she had followed in choosing them. On the surface, they all made sense for her—they were good fits. Digging deeper, however, I was able to uncover potential landmines or factors that might have influenced the outcome of her EA application. If not addressed, they would certainly have an impact on the outcomes of her other applications.

First, although Jean and her parents had been evaluating college options since her 9th grade year, she hadn’t visited any of the campuses in the last eighteen months. More specifically, she had never formally visited the school to which she applied EA. Despite her passion for the place, its admission officers had no way of knowing about her interest.

Second, she had not sufficiently established her “hook”—the credential that might set her apart from her peers in a tight competition. A student leader and two-sport athlete with aspirations for playing in college, Jean had not made contact with college athletic recruiters in her sports.

Finally, Jean had indicated on her application for admission that she would be a candidate for financial aid—a factor that could complicate things even at an institution that is reputedly “need blind” in the admission process.

As I talked with Jean, I wanted her to understand how the EA university might have reacted to her application. While she is a great candidate academically, admission officers at the schools she is considering can afford to look for more as she competes with thousands of others who look just like her. In making its decisions, the admission committee is rarely asking: “Is she good enough?” Rather it makes a series of value judgments: “Who among these great candidates do we value most? What does this candidate bring us as we attempt to build a new community?”

In my next posting, I will reveal the steps Jean took to make sure these questions were adequately addressed in her applications.

A critical element of just about every application is the student’s ability to bring clarity to the interpretation of his/her academic record. In other words, when there are irregularities in a student’s program and/or performance, s/he has a “story” to tell. The context for such stories, or explanations, often rests in factors that are beyond the student’s control i.e. injury, illness, family moves, parental difficulties, etc. In the absence of explanations, though, admission officers must guess about the circumstances—and that rarely bodes well for the candidate as admission folks are more often cynical than charitable in their estimations!

A circumstance frequently raised in this regard is that relating to a student’s documented learning difference. Specifically, families often wonder if or how the presence of “Individual Educational Plans” (IEPs) in the student’s academic experience should be conveyed in the application for admission without prejudicing the candidacy. While there are few solutions that fit every situation, it is important to consider the manner in which information is shared with the institution, first, with regard to the student’s candidacy for admission and, then, as it relates to securing necessary support for the student once enrolled.

In terms of admission, I would err on the side of meaningful disclosure. Give the admission committee the full picture so it can make a balanced evaluation of your credentials. Places that value you for what you do well will try to find ways to admit and support you. Providing an awareness of a learning difference for which you are compensating may give them greater confidence in their respective abilities to help you find success. On the other hand, you can’t worry about schools that might not admit you. The odds are that they would not have been good fits for you in the long run anyway.

That said, you cannot count on the admission office to pass along the documentation of academic support needs to folks in the academic program. While such information might indeed be passed along on a “need to know” basis, it is routinely purged from applicant files (in the spirit of confidentiality) after a student makes the decision to enroll. Regardless, plan to present documentation of your learning difference and need for support to the counseling center/disability office after you have enrolled. Don’t assume they will have gotten the information from the admission office.

According to educational consultant, Allen Tinkler, in a note to colleagues on the National Association of College Admission Counseling (NACAC) listserve, “one of the biggest errors kids/ families make…is the assumption that just because the documentation was sent, whether to admissions or to disability support services, the college will provide accommodations and services. This is not true. The student must…self-identify and go through some kind of intake interview, discuss accommodations requested, sometimes negotiate, and learn the procedures at the college. This is done with CURRENT, COMPLETE and APPROPRIATE documentation.”

Allen further observes, and I agree wholeheartedly, that students need to learn to be “strong self-advocates.” At his former school, “each student with an IEP or 504 plan was given a complete set of documentation…at a final meeting with parents present (and) instructed that it was now up to them to take the responsibility of receiving accommodations at college. They were instructed that sometime between the distribution of those papers and the beginning of classes at college they needed to contact the disability coordinator, present themselves and their papers. We were literally passing the baton over to them.”

Ownership and the assumption of personal responsibility are vital to your success in all aspects of life. So seize the opportunity! During the senior year, and certainly by the time you graduate, step forward and accept responsibility. Make a difference with regard to the direction you will take during your college years and beyond!

To further explore this topic, join us in our next live Web-Side Chat webcast, “Addressing Learning Differences in Your Application,” November 23, 2009, at 7:00 PM Eastern Time. Visit BCF Resources to register.

(Editor’s note: This week I’m happy to post a guest blog by Terry Cowdrey, Dean of Admissions and Financial Aid at St. Lawrence University.)

As someone who has always believed that carrying an umbrella will prevent rain, I am concerned about the number of high school seniors who apply Early Decision to their first choice college and don’t formulate a Plan B. Perhaps they worry that having a contingency plan will somehow jinx their admission to the school of their dreams—that college admissions karma will question their real commitment—that somehow declaring a school as their top choice is not adequate because the Early Decision school should be their only choice. The reality is that Early Decision (ED) good news or bad news will come regardless of whether the student has a Plan B. The bad news is a lot more difficult to deal with, however, when there is no alternate plan.

Many ED candidates who hope for the “big envelope” in December are sorely disappointed. Lots of them get letters that tell them that the college is not yet able to make a decision on their application. Their ED applications have been deferred and they will be considered with the rest of the applicant pool in the spring. The letter encourages students to send updated academic information and assures them that their application will receive full consideration later in the year. Students wonder what more they can do to demonstrate their talents and commitment. Still, there is a glimmer of hope for admission to “First Choice College” making it hard for some students to look beyond and make alternate plans.

Yet other students who set their hearts on one college as ED candidates will receive a letter of rejection in mid-December. There will be no reconsideration of the application in this case—the admissions office is clear in saying that “First Choice College” will not be a college choice for the student whose Early Decision application is rejected. Although the temptation may be to give in to self-pity and to imagine no college in one’s future, the more productive reaction is to put the disappointment aside, try to remember that everything happens for a reason, and get additional applications submitted as quickly as possible. Now is the time to put your best self forward—to be sure that applications are completed thoughtfully, thoroughly, and on time.

Although it may be hard for some high school seniors to believe, some of the most successful, happiest college students are those who were not admitted to their Early Decision colleges and were forced to look more deeply at other schools, ultimately finding places that were better matched to their interests and talents.

So if you are a high school senior who has declared your love for a college through an Early Decision application, and you are waiting to hear whether you have been embraced or rebuffed, get out that proverbial umbrella. If you are not admitted Early Decision, you will need to be ready to move quickly because many Regular Decision deadlines will be only a few weeks away. Make sure you have applications ready to be submitted to other colleges that you have identified as good matches. And make sure you have had conversations with your guidance counselor and teachers so that the documents they need to send in support of your applications are ready to go if needed. Don’t worry about what you will say to your friends and relatives whom you told so proudly about your decision to apply Early—you can always tell them that you have had second thoughts and are relieved to have more time to consider other colleges—the more you say it, the more you will believe it.

And remember—you might get good news in mid-December. If you do, enjoy it—wear your college sweatshirt with a smile. But remember how attractive gratitude is. Thank your counselor, your teachers and your parents for their support through the process. Commit yourself to doing your best work for the remainder of your senior year. Getting admitted to college is an accomplishment of which you should be proud. Now, it is your responsibility to prepare yourself for the opportunities and challenges that college will bring.

Terry Cowdrey is the vice president and dean of admissions and financial aid at St. Lawrence University. Her career in college admissions spans three decades and includes experience at Vanderbilt University, the University of New Hampshire, and Wesleyan University.

October is a time of reckoning for students as they prepare college applications. The senior year of high school is in full swing with new academic challenges and a sense of nostalgia as students wistfully embrace events and relationships for the “last time” in their high school experience. And, for many, the college application represents another layer of activity on top of an already busy schedule.

The excitement and allure of going to college begins to wane as the process of applying becomes an onerous imposition. With pending deadlines and mounting requirements, there simply isn’t enough time in the day to get it all done! As a result, there is a tendency to choose the course of least resistance-to do what is “good enough.”

I would like to offer a word to the wise if you find yourself in this situation. Stay focused. Now is the time to do your best work even though doing so may mean making compromises in your social life. You can’t “will” great grades. Essays don’t become excellent overnight. College applications don’t materialize out of thin air.

Keep in mind the competition for admission. Popular forecasts to the contrary, the competition will continue to increase as a higher proportion of the college age population applies to college this year-and next, and the year after that. As a result, colleges will continue to be inundated by applications from more qualified candidates than they can admit. And the more selective institutions will be forced to make fine distinctions between deserving candidates.

In particular, they will watch to see how you handle the pressure. Will you wilt under the weight of the added expectations? Will you find the easiest path to the finish line? Or will you step up to the challenge?

Colleges that can be picky are watching. They want to see what you do when you don’t think you have to do anything. They want to see how you approach your classroom assignments. When a “B” seems good enough, will you continue to push for the “A?”

And they will be able to gauge your investment in your application immediately. Have you been thoughtful about conveying key messages? How have you told your story? What does your essay say about you? I can tell you from experience that applications and, in particular, essays that are pulled together at the last minute have that “good enough” look about them.

During our most recent Web-Side Chat webcast on October 3, we had some interesting discussions about the implications of doing what is “good enough” in preparing college applications. The sequel to that webcast, “The Biggest Mistakes Made in Applying to College,” will take place on Tuesday, October 13 at 7:00 PM ET. In order to participate click here to sign-up. In addition to gaining access to the upcoming Web-Side Chat webcast, you will also be able to view past webcasts in the BCF archives.

As a high school senior and an applicant to college, you are still in a position to control the manner in which your application is presented. Do your best, then, to resist the temptation to put things off or go into cruise control. Now is the time to accelerate! You must make that commitment, though. As one young woman observed after hearing this message at a recent program, “If nothing else, I have learned that good enough is never enough if I want to reach my goals.”

It’s back! The U.S. News & World Report guide to America’s Best Colleges hit the newsstands like clockwork yesterday, August 20. And with it comes the media activity that has helped propel the guide to best-seller status.

Frankly, the rankings phenomenon is growing wearisome. The notion that all of America’s best colleges can be rank ordered-that the mythical pecking order can actually be quantified-is foolhardy. It makes too many wandering assumptions about people and places, cultures and values, quality and-believe it or not-fit.

There is a lot wrong with both the concept of rankings and the methodology employed to achieve them. For example, the variable given the greatest weight (institutional reputation) is measured by a survey of educational leaders, fewer than half of which chose to participate. One can only imagine the root of such disinterest. Be it apathy or an act of civil disobedience, the result remains flawed.

My point, however, is not to draw attention to the lack of science in this project or the motives for perpetuating it. Rather, it is important that, as consumers, advisers and advocates, we not allow ourselves to become distracted from the order of the day and that is to help young people find and get into colleges and universities that fit them best.

Among other things, rankings promote a destination orientation or an obsessive approach to getting into highly ranked colleges. Where the student is headed becomes more important than what is to be accomplished, why that goal might be important or how the institution might best serve the student. When distracted by the blinding power and prestige that rankings bestow upon a few institutions, it is easy to lose sight of one-s values and priorities as well as the full range of opportunities that exist.

If you are a student, then, keep rankings in perspective as you proceed with college planning. Resist the temptation to obsess on a set of numbers. Instead, focus on developing a list of colleges based who you are, why you want to go to college and what you want to accomplish during your undergraduate years. And don-t lose sight of how you like to learn. Stay student-centered and you will discover the colleges that are best for you.

I will address this topic in greater detail during the August 25 Web-Side Chat webcast, Making Sense of College Rankings (7:00 PM ET). To join the conversation, sign up through Best College Fit.

In addition, you can hear me discuss “Tips for Interpreting College Rankings” on You Tube at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oIugnI-TQmo

On July 18, Jacques Steinberg published an expose in the New York Times entitled, “Before College, Costly Advice Just on Getting In.” The article focused on the growing field of high-priced college planning consultants.

Unrelated, a job posting was circulated a week later by one of the featured firms for a senior level manager. The position description read more like a sales/marketing position involving human chattel than an educationally based enterprise.

It strikes me that the phenomenon of the overpriced-priced college consultant or, should I say, placement agent is further evidence of a process gone awry in some quarters. Families that buy in are clearly subscribing to the notion that destination matters-and at all costs. When that happens, young lives become the currency for a handful of opportunistic individuals who seek to parlay degrees from elite institutions, or brief encounters with college admission at those places, into mega-bucks consulting operations. The inference, of course, is that one’s prior association with a particular institution will make the difference in leveraging the desired outcomes. Lost in the scramble for name-brand destinations, however, is a perspective that is centered on helping young people discover their own direction while making good decisions about their educational futures.

Fortunately, this scenario only touches a small percentage of the college-going population. If you feel left out because you are unable to afford such opportunities (ranging up to $40,000)-or you simply were not aware of them-don’t despair. Your students are not at a disadvantage. These people don’t get kids into selective colleges. Kids compete on their own merit. In fact, college admission officers consistently rate the “authenticity” of the applicant as a valued quality in the selection process.

I mention this because I believe there is a role for private counseling in the college planning process. It is a role, however, that eschews the clamor for fancy destinations and focuses on what is best for the developing young person. And it should be accessible at a fraction of the cost cited by the folks who specialize in packaging kids for college.

Each of us follows a distinctive learning path during our formative academic years and in life. It would seem, then, that a reasonable objective of college counseling would be to help advance young people along their respective paths. This is best accomplished by helping the student develop greater self-awareness within the context of the college admission process. The fundamental questions of “Who am I?” “Why do I want to go college?” “What do I want to achieve?” “Under what conditions do I function best academically?” need to be asked over and over again until the student begins to internalize responses that become his priorities and, ultimately, the filters through which he can process all of the information he receives about colleges.

This is the essence of effective college counseling-helping students become self-aware and more confident as decision-makers. Young people need to be supported in pursuing learning paths that make sense for them and in finding colleges that value them for what they have to offer. They benefit from the personal validation that comes with honest reflection and will often surprise us with the solutions they discover on their own.

I often cite the parable of the hungry man to illustrate this point. If you encounter a hungry man, you can satisfy his hunger for the moment by giving him a fish. Or, you can help make sure he will never have to be hungry by teaching him how to fish.

It is easy to lose track of young people and their learning paths amidst the noise and posturing associated with “getting into the best colleges.” In doing so, we tend to overlook the importance of the student’s own discovery of what is best for himself in favor of our own assumptions about what the “best” must be. We stop teaching and start handing out solutions. In the process, the opportunity to make choices consistent with aptitude and learning style gives way to the obsession for placement in academic environments defined less by good fit and more by brand recognition.

As an author and speaker, I value the opportunity to teach young people “how to fish” so they can be self-reliant in the college-going process. And I know there are scores of private counselors around the country who do the same. You will know them by their broad knowledge of the admission process, their humility (a tacit understanding that they are not bigger than the process), and a personal integrity that is manifest in a genuine interest in helping young people follow their respective learning paths.